02-05-2022, 09:15 AM | #23 |
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To be honest there are a number of things that are potentially very costly to replace if they fail and hence there's a school of thought it's risky to run a modern BMW without a warranty - perhaps a bit glass half empty but I think I'll probably extend mine when the time comes!
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02-05-2022, 07:14 PM | #25 |
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I love the LLs and would have them on everything going forward. Then again I'm out in the sticks so a lot of unlit roads. Have to agree on the DRLs too, not sure if it's just me or non-LL cars seem to look almost like tears
Another random thought - I always seem to notice the indicators are incredibly bright too compared to a lot of cars. Usually at night on roundabouts the reflective signage is lit up like the sun being switched on/off... |
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02-06-2022, 02:52 AM | #27 |
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Definitely not a looks thing for me £1500 is a lot to improve the look if it improves it at all (beauty in the eye of the beholder). It’s about function if I go for it. Food for thought - I’ll see if I can find any side by side comparisons to see how good or marginal the improvements are. The choices on my F 4 series were LED or Adaptive LED - and the standard leds are certainly not poor as has been suggested above, so it’s hard to filter on a forum what’s real - I probably need to see the differences. Will see what’s on YouTube!
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02-06-2022, 03:39 AM | #30 | |
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Unless you are paying cash for the car, the cost will be around £30 a month as the vis pack will make your GFMV higher at the end. I would never order a car without it.
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02-06-2022, 03:52 AM | #31 |
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I have laser lights and, while they're good, being absolutely honest I'd don't find them that much better than either the xenons in my old F31 335d or the LED's in Mrs JNW1's Cooper S. The selective beam function is nice to have but if I was speccing again and on a budget I think the Visibility Pack is one of the things I'd do without - they're good but IMO I'm not sure they're worth £1500 over LED's.
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02-06-2022, 03:54 AM | #32 |
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If it’s hard to “filter on a forum what’s real” why do you bother asking? Like with the badge, you solicit opinion and then promptly disagree with opinions that don’t match yours. The laser lights are significantly better if your driving profile suits them and standard LEDs are satisfactory but not great. That’s it.
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02-06-2022, 03:57 AM | #33 | |
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02-06-2022, 04:13 AM | #34 |
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Adaptive xenons on the F series cars were excellent.
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02-06-2022, 04:22 AM | #35 | |
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I think there's more benefit with laser lights if you do a lot of night driving on country roads and do so at speeds where the lasers are operational most of the time. However, I live in a relatively rural location and, like I say, I don't think the laser lights in my car are massively better than the LED's in Mrs JNW1's Mini or the xenons I had in my old F31. If money was no object I'd still spec laser lights again but if funds were restricted they'd be one of things I'd do without.... |
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02-06-2022, 04:51 AM | #36 | |
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Thanks - yes I think you are right about the different markets. The dealer tells me it makes no difference to GMFV but I’ll check. Nor to future part ex value. He said his perception on his X5 was that it was a barely noticeable difference. He is the one with the vested interest to sell to me, but I’m getting conflicting views hence the sanity check. And it’s a reasonable investment. I think for me I’m still unsure either way so I’ll see if I can get a demo of both, at night! Last edited by siwatkins; 02-06-2022 at 05:14 AM.. |
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02-06-2022, 04:55 AM | #37 | |
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Last edited by siwatkins; 02-06-2022 at 05:10 AM.. |
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02-06-2022, 05:08 AM | #38 | |
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I’m sure we all tick options on our new cars and skip over others. One I previously regretted was adaptive cruise control so have fixed that this time. I’ve ticked Tech Plus, Comfort Plus, just not this one and build will soon go into freeze so I’m just sanity checking my decision before it’s too late. Thank you for seeing both sides of my angst. |
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02-06-2022, 05:10 AM | #39 |
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I tried recently to add Laser Lights to my build spec but was told that any changes to my order will push it back again. (M340i touring ordered August and still waiting).
If I had known at the time that the delays would be as they are i would have included them as I could have added more deposit by the time of collection and put up with the extra monthlies. I haven't driven a 3 series a night with "standard" adaptive LED but having now driven through the winter with my M135i which has excellent headlights I feel that it would have been a must. I suppose at the time of ordering I hadn't read up enough to realise there was a difference. On top of that there is the fact that, in my opinion, the DRL and the Blue Laser bit do look much better. My two pennies worth, horses for courses though.
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02-06-2022, 05:24 AM | #40 | |
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02-06-2022, 05:29 AM | #41 | |
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02-06-2022, 05:41 AM | #42 |
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If you don't do a lot of country Lane driving at night, save your cash if you need to budget. As long as you have HUD, seat and steering wheel heaters ticked, you will love the car.
The dancing laser lights are awesome IMHO, best lights I've ever had. I like the fact they switch off the right hand light if someone is coming towards you, leaving a full beam on the left verge. Really helps you keep focused on the road and what's coming. If you take one weekend break a year to say the peak District in your car, and drive at night, you will thank your finger for clicking the option..
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02-06-2022, 05:48 AM | #43 | |
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02-06-2022, 05:53 AM | #44 |
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It might be helpful to separate out the additional features of the visibility pack. Firstly, there is the longer range main beam with the laser lights. Second, the selective beam forming which, in effect, allows most of the main beam illumination to remain on when there is approaching traffic, or vehicles ahead. I came from a Mercedes with ILS (intelligent light system) which had the beam forming but not the long range laser lights. I found the Mercedes system very good and my starting point was that I wanted the visibility pack on the BMW. However, when I specced the other things I definitely wanted, like driver assistance, adding the visibility pack would have taken me over the £40k list point with the higher VED, so the effective cost over 5 years would, in my case have been around £3k not £1.5k. Having read the comments here, and taking into account my pattern of use which involves very little driving on unlit rural roads, I decided that was too much. But I was worried that I had made a mistake. As it turns out, I am happy with my choice.
Going back to the separate benefits of the visibility pack, I think that the main beam range of the adaptive LED's is good enough that I wouldn't drive faster if I could see further ahead, although I appreciate others might take a different view (no pun intended!). In relation to the selective beam forming, I find the standard adaptive light function, while obviously not as good, does provide surprisingly good illumination when dipped. In particular it picks out the nearside of the road very well. My overall conclusion (and I appreciate I have not made a direct comparison) is that on unlit rural roads with other traffic the visibility pack would probably allow me safely to drive a little bit quicker, but that is it. I should add that, if the OP opts for the standard lights, he would be well advised to add the high beam assistant (HBA) which is £150 through the Connect Drive store. In my case, if the net cost had been £1350 rather than £3k and even though I do very little driving on rural roads, I would probably have gone for the visibility pack. But then I am a sucker for technology and there is some pleasure to be derived from seeing the lights do their magic tricks. So, as others have commented, a lot may depend on the pattern of use. Even allowing for this, if the OP is concerned that not opting for the visibility pack will prove a serious limitation, I think he should not be. |
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